BOOKLIST STARRED REVIEW

WATERSTONES BEST TEEN AND YA BOOKS OF 2023

"Sparkles with laugh-out-loud dialogue... A funny romp with a lot of heart." - Kirkus

"Humorous dialogue and steamy romance, vibrant supporting characters, sex-positive messaging, and complex ruminations on sexuality propel this heartfelt read" - Publishers Weekly

"Pitch-perfect pop star romance... Sutter’s swoony YA debut... is romance at its absolute best." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"I kept laughing out loud... I stayed up until almost 2 AM reading this book and had absolutely no regrets." - GeekMom

Perfect for fans of Red, White, & Royal Blue and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Darkhearts is a hilarious, heartfelt novel about fame, romance, and what happens when the two collide.

When David quit his band, he missed his shot at fame. For the past two years, he’s been trapped in an ordinary Seattle high school life, working summers for his dad’s construction business while his former best friends Chance and Eli became the hottest teen pop act in America.

Then Eli dies. Suddenly David and Chance are thrown back into contact, forcing David to rediscover all the little things that once made the two of them so close, even as he continues to despise the singer’s posturing and attention-hogging. As old wounds break open, an unexpected kiss leads the boys to trade frenemy status for a confusing, tentative romance―one Chance is desperate to keep out of the spotlight. Though hurt by Chance’s refusal to acknowledge him publicly, David decides their new relationship presents a perfect opportunity for him to rejoin the band and claim the celebrity he's been denied. But Chance is all too familiar with people trying to use him.

As the mixture of business and pleasure becomes a powder keg, David will have to choose: Is this his second chance at glory? Or his second chance at Chance?

"A messy, joyful story about what happens when rockstars meet reality, and about finding the part of yourself that makes you whole. These boys and their love story filled up my heart―I couldn't stop reading, and I didn't want to." - Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling author of Illuminae

"Laugh-out-loud and tearful at the same time, Sutter's Darkhearts combines real characters, smart prose, and an emotional journey into one fantastically relatable read." - Charlie N. Holmberg, bestselling author of the Paper Magician series and You're My I.T.

"Darkhearts is a delightful, boy-centric YA that doesn't shy away from Romance with a capital R. Chance is a soulful, ethereal mystery to the reader, and David a down-to-earth, weighty mystery to himself, but wherever your tastes lie, you'll find it in Darkhearts. Sutter has created a world that will feel starkly familiar to teens, layered with exploration and an unflinchingly real glimpse into the sometimes elusive world of the teen boy. Top everything off with an insta-fave quirky best friend, and a setting steeped with musicians' culture―Sutter is an author to watch." - Aprilynne Pike, New York Times bestselling author of the Wings series

"Sutter's breezy, warm-hearted prose feels almost like a trick: blink and you'll catch yourself surprised by the more emotional moments in the book. A fantastic, slow-burn romance both sweet and poignant, hilarious and brilliant." - Cassandra Khaw, bestselling author of Nothing but Blackened Teeth

"Characters so well-drawn you feel like you know them—and so compelling you wish that you did. Darkhearts is rad as hell." - Dan Wells, bestselling author of I Am Not a Serial Killer

"An achingly real tale of first queer romance and a brutal cut at the lies we tell ourselves, all in one hilarious package. Hard emotional truths lead to a satisfying, healing payoff in this love story filled with music, woodworking, missed opportunities, and nuanced queer representation. Seeing someone push through their BS to find love and real emotional growth? We love to see it." - M. K. England, author of The One True Me and You

Chosen as a best book of 2023 by King County and Multnomah County Libraries.

ISBN: 9781250869746